Table 4.
Effect of antihypertensive medications on endothelial progenitor cells
| Ref. | Subjects | Drugs | Duration | EPCs (number/function) | Findings |
| Angiotensin II receptor blockers | |||||
| Yao et al[33] | 42 SHR-SP rats | Losartan (10 mg/kg per day) vs Placebo | 2 wk | CFU CD34+ (flow cytometry) Migratory activity | Losartan improved EPC number and function from SHR-SP rats compared to WKY rats |
| Yu et al[34] | 18 SHR-SP rats | Candesartan (1 mg/kg per day) vs Tempol, Trichlormethiazide | 2 wk | CFU | The highest CFU count was observed in candesartan treatment group |
| Yoshida et al[35] | 12 SHR-SP rats | Valsartan (300 mg/L) vs Hydralazine | 2 wk | CFU Migratory activity | Treatment with valsartan stimulated increase in CFU and migration activity in SHR-SP rats compared to hydralazine-treated rats |
| Honda et al[36] | 15 healthy controls | Telmisartan (1 μmol/L) vs Valsartan | 4 d | CFU Proliferation activity | CFU and EPC proliferative activity are significantly increased in cells treated with telmisartan in vitro |
| Pelliccia et al[37] | 40 CAD | Telmisartan (80 mg/d) vs Placebo | 4 wk | CD34+/CD45-/ KDR+ (flow cytometry) | CD34+/CD45-/KDR+ is significantly elevated in patients treated with telmisartan |
| Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors | |||||
| Min et al[39] | 20 CAD | Ramipril (5 mg/d) vs Placebo | 4 wk | EPC number Migratory activity Proliferation activity Adhesion activity | There was 1.5 fold increase in EPC number after 1 wk of treatment Followed by 2.5 fold increase in EPC count after 4 wk Migration, proliferation and adhesion activities were also significantly improved with ramipril |
| Cacciatore et al[40] | 36 HT | Enalapril (20 mg/d) vs Zofenopril (30 mg/d) | 1 yr and 5 yr | CFU Migratory activity | Increased CFU count for both treatment groups at 1 yr and 5 yr No difference for migratory activity |
| Calcium channel blockers | |||||
| Sugiura et al[43] | 37 HT | Nifedipine (20 mg/d) vs Untreated | 4 wk | CD34+/CD133+ (flow cytometry) Migratory activity | EPC number and function were significantly improved in the nifedipine group |
| de Ciuceis et al[44] | 29 essential HT | Barnidipine (20 mg/d) vs Hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg/d) | 3 and 6 mo | EPC number | EPC number was significantly elevated in patients treated with barnidipine compared to hydrochlorothiazide |
CAD: Coronary artery disease; CFU: Colony forming unit; EPC: Endothelial progenitor cells; HT: Hypertension; SHR-SP: Spontaneous hypertensive rats-stroke prone; WKY: Wistar-Kyoto.